Cinema defends pre-allocated seating plan

Moviegoers at some of Brisbane's biggest cinema complexes can no longer just sit down in any available seat.

Instead Birch, Carroll and Coyle patrons are being allocated specific seats when they buy their tickets - either at the cinema or online.

ABC Local Radio talkback callers have described the system as "stupid" and "irrelevant". Some have vowed never to return to a BCC cinema.

The company's Queensland manager, Darren Condon, admits there have been some teething problems.

But Mr Condon says, overall, the introduction of the new system has been a success.

"It's really about stopping people [from] queuing so long after they've bought their ticket, prior to going into the movie of their choice," he told 612's breakfast show.

"We found that our patrons just didn't like being treated like cattle ... So [now] if they want to buy their ticket half an hour beforehand and go away and have a coffee ... they can do that.

"Or if they really, really particular about their seat, they can go online and buy that seat a few days in advance and know that when they get to the auditorium it will be there ready for them."

Mr Condon believes most movie buffs just need time to adjust.

"We believe that once we get some of this fine-tuning covered that a lot of people will enjoy the experience," he said.

"We've found where it's been rolled out in other parts of the world and Australia, that after a very short period of time people actually find they quite like being able to reserve their seat and go to the cinema in that environment."

BCC has plans to extend allocated seating to all cinemas in Queensland.